Apple today revealed three new games coming to Apple Arcade on May 2, including retro 2D pixelated platforming game A Slight Chance of Sawblades+, rogue-like game Dicey Dungeons+, and match-three puzzle game Summer Pop+. All games available on Apple Arcade are ad-free and do not offer in-app purchases.
Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. The service received its first price increase last year, with U.S. pricing rising from $4.99 to $6.99 per month.
Apple's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C/MagSafe Charging Case have hit $189.00 on Amazon, down from $249.00. We haven't seen this deal since Amazon's Big Spring Sale last month, and right now the AirPods Pro 2 have an estimated arrival date between April 11 and 14.
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There are a few minor changes to the AirPods Pro 2 besides the addition of USB-C, including additional dust resistance and support for lossless audio with the Vision Pro headset. If you're looking for an even cheaper model of AirPods, Amazon also has the AirPods 2 for $89.00 right now, down from $129.00.
Apple is "unlikely" to hold an event to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, according to sources cited by Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.
Instead of an event, it is likely that Apple will announce the new iPads in a press release shared on its website, as it did for the MacBook Air models with the M3 chip in early March. Gurman believes Apple will announce the new iPads by the second week of May, barring any further delays due to production challenges.
Gurman said two factors contributing to the new iPads being delayed were Apple still finishing iPadOS software development for the new iPads, and advanced manufacturing techniques for the OLED displays that the devices will use.
A recap of the iPad-related products that Apple is expected to announce:
It has been nearly 18 months since Apple last released new iPads, so customers have been waiting a long time for updated models to launch. 2023 was the first year in which Apple did not release any new iPads in the device's history.
Apple plans to use new low-energy OLED panel technology in the next Apple Watch to further reduce the power consumption of its always-on display, claims a new report out of Korea.
According to The Elec, Apple will adopt new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology for its upcoming Apple Watch, which is scheduled to be released in the second half of this year.
LPTO TFT is a method of applying oxide on the driving TFT and the switching transistors behind each pixel. Switching transistors control the voltage applied to the liquid crystal cells, allowing precise control of the amount of light that passes through each pixel.
Existing Apple Watch OLED displays use LPTO TFT in only a few switching transistors, and rely on low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) technology for the majority of transistors as well as the driving TFT.
Using oxide instead of LTPS for the driving TFT and more of the switching transistors means that oxide alone is responsible for the current running through the majority of transistors that connect directly to the OLED pixel. In the new LTPO OLED application, increased use of oxide means lower leakage current and more stable operation at low refresh rates, resulting in overall power savings.
The downside is that the technique means more complication in the manufacturing of the TFT substrates. According to the report, LG Display is expected to take the lead in the development of the new LPTO OLED technology. Meanwhile, Samsung is participating in a development project that should see it join Apple's LPTO OLED supply chain in time for next year's Apple Watch.
This has led to industry speculation that Apple is planning to expand the use of LPTO OLED technology to other products such as the iPhone. The current iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus use LTPS panels, while Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models use the more advanced LTPO panels, which support variable refresh rates.
Apple is expected to retain the use of the less advanced LTPS panels in this year's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to maintain differentiation between its standard and Pro models. However, next year's iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus are expected to adopt the same technology, which would mean Apple's 2025 iPhone series will be the first of its kind to feature ProMotion and always-on displays across the lineup.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup will feature bigger battery capacities compared to previous-generation models with the exception of the iPhone 16 Plus, which will have a smaller battery than its predecessor.
That's according to the Chinese Weibo-based leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO, a relatively new source of supply chain leaks with an as-yet unproven track record for accuracy.
The iPhone 16 battery capacity details posted by the Weibo leaker match figures previously shared on X by "Majin Bu," with the notable addition of a figure for the iPhone 16 Pro model, which Majin Bu omitted. That makes this leak the first time we have been provided with alleged iPhone 16 battery capacity changes across the board.
The figures show that the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature larger batteries than their predecessors, but the iPhone 16 Plus is allegedly facing a reduction in terms of battery capacity compared to the iPhone 15 Plus.
Why that would be the case isn't clear, since apart from the size difference, both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus are expected to have an identical feature set. One possibility is that the capacity reduction turns out to be negligible in real terms thanks to efficiency improvements in other areas. On the other hand, by reducing capacity, Apple could be trying to maximize differentiation between the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro Max in an attempt to nudge customers toward the premium features (and prices) of its top tier model.
iPhone 15 Lineup (2023)
iPhone 16 Lineup (2024)
% Change
[Standard]
3,349 mAh
3,561 mAh
+6%
Plus
4,383 mAh
4,006 mAh
-9%
Pro
3,274 mAh
3,355 mAh
+2.5
Pro Max
4,422 mAh
4,676 mAh
+5%
When the iPhone 14 Plus was introduced into Apple's smartphone lineup to replace the iPhone 13 mini, it gave customers the opportunity to own a device with the same 6.7-inch display as the iPhone 14 Pro Max without paying a premium. In addition, the iPhone 14 Plus also had the advantage of a larger capacity battery than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, allowing Apple to market the device as featuring "our longest battery life."
However, with the advent of the iPhone 15 series, Apple increased the battery capacity of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to make it the largest battery ever used in an iPhone.
According to another rumor, this year's iPhone 16 Pro Max will boast an even bigger 30-hour-plus battery life (compared to 29 hours for the iPhone 15 Pro Max). Not only that, both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to have slightly larger displays. If Apple does intend to reduce the battery in the iPhone 16 Plus, it would widen the gap further between the two tiers. The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be announced in the fall.
X, formerly Twitter, has extended support for passkeys as a login option for iPhone users across the globe, the company has announced.
Passkeys support was introduced by X earlier this year, but the option was limited to iOS users based in the United States. Now anyone on the social media platform can use them.
Passkeys are both easier to use and more secure than passwords because they let users sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: With Face ID, Touch ID, or a device passcode. Passkeys are also resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes.
Apple integrated passkeys into iOS in 2022 with the launch of iOS 16, and it is also available in iPadOS 16.1 and later as well as macOS Ventura and later.
To set up passkeys in X on iPhone, follow these steps:
Log in to the X app.
Click Your account in the navigation bar.
Select Settings and privacy, then click Security and account access, then Security.
Under Additional password protection, click Passkey.
Enter your password when prompted.
Select Add a passkey and follow the prompts.
Update: Passkeys is now available as a login option for everyone globally on iOS! Try it out.https://t.co/v1LyN0l8wF
— Safety (@Safety) April 8, 2024
X is just one of several companies to implement support for passkeys in recent months, with other supporting apps and websites including Google, PayPal, Best Buy, eBay, Dashlane, and Microsoft.
Google today introduced the Find My Device network for Android-based products, mirroring the functionality of Apple's Find My network that's designed to locate Apple devices.
Like Apple Find My, the Android Find My Device network is able to use the millions of Android devices (running Android 9 or later) out in the wild to track down lost, stolen, and missing Android products. A lost Android smartphone is able to ping nearby Android devices using Bluetooth, relaying location information back to the owner.
Because the network uses Bluetooth, it works even when Android devices are offline and do not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Some devices, such as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, will be locatable even when powered off or when the battery is dead. Find My offers the same feature set for iPhones.
Starting in May, the Find My Device network for Android smartphones will also work with Bluetooth trackers from companies like Chipolo and Pebblebee, allowing Android users to attach trackers to items to locate them with the Android network. While Google isn't designing its own trackers, these third-party trackers will work in the same way that AirTags work.
To keep iPhone users from being tracked without their knowledge using this new network, Google worked with Apple to create an industry specification that lets both iPhone and Android users get alerts about nearby unknown item trackers regardless of the brand of the tracking device. Google waited until Apple implemented support for third-party tracker alerts to launch its network, based on code found in iOS 17.5.
iOS 17.5 appears to expand the "Found Moving With You" AirTag alerts to third-party item trackers, allowing the iPhone to recognize Android-based item trackers and those from other companies. "You can disable this item and stop it from sharing its location with the owner. To do this, follow the instructions provided on a website by the manufacturer of this item," reads some of the iOS 17.5 code.
Google was able to learn from the criticism that Apple faced after launching AirTags. There have been numerous news stories and reports of criminals using AirTags for stalking, car thefts, and more, leading Apple to make multiple changes to unwanted tracker alerts. Apple upped the frequency of notifications and also designed a Tracker Detect app for Android devices, but Apple's work with Google ensures a more permanent solution that keeps Android and iPhone users safe as another major tracking network launches.
Microsoft will advertise that its upcoming Windows laptops with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor are faster than the MacBook Air with Apple's latest M3 chip, according to internal documents obtained by The Verge.
"Microsoft is so confident in these new Qualcomm chips that it's planning a number of demos that will show how these processors will be faster than an M3 MacBook Air for CPU tasks, AI acceleration, and even app emulation," the report says. Microsoft believes its laptops will offer "faster app emulation" than Apple's Rosetta 2.
Introduced in October, the Snapdragon X Elite has Arm-based architecture like Apple silicon. Qualcomm last year claimed that the processor achieved 21% faster multi-core CPU performance than the M3 chip, based on the Geekbench 6 benchmark tool.
There are a few caveats here, including that Microsoft and Qualcomm are comparing to Apple's lower-end M3 chip instead of its higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. MacBooks with Apple silicon also offer industry-leading performance-per-watt, while the Snapdragon X Elite will likely run hotter and require laptops with fans. Since being updated with the M1 chip in 2020, the MacBook Air has featured a fanless design. Apple can also optimize the performance of MacBooks since it controls both the hardware and macOS software.
Nevertheless, it is clear that Apple's competitors are making progress with Arm-based laptops. Microsoft plans to announce laptops powered by the Snapdragon X Elite later this year, including the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 on May 20.
Samsung has kicked off a new monitor sale, part of its "High Resolution Week," which is set to run through the end of the week. During this event you'll find discounts on 4K and 5K Samsung monitors, including the popular ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor and Smart Monitor M8, as well as storage, audio, TVs, smartphones, and home appliances.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
As with previous sales, the highlight of the new event is the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $899.99, down from $1,599.99. At $700 off this a match of the previous all-time low price on the 2023 display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4.
Samsung's 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 is also being discounted during this sale, available for $399.99 in multiple colors, down from $699.99. Colors available include Spring Green, Warm White, and Sunset Pink. This is a 4K smart monitor with a design that looks similar to the iMac line, and this is a solid second-best price.
Apple is believed to be among the companies seeking an agreement with Photobucket to train its artificial intelligence models, Reuters reports.
Photobucket's vast image library of over 13 billion photos and videos has attracted renewed interest as tech companies, including Apple, seek to license content for AI training purposes. The rise of generative AI has spurred demand for diverse datasets, and companies like Photobucket are able provide a vast amount of of visual data that could train AI to produce content in response to text prompts.
Apple already reached an agreement with Shutterstock to license millions of images shortly after the debut of ChatGPT in late 2022, in a deal believed to be worth $25 million to $50 million. The pursuit of "ethically sourced" and legally clear data marks a departure from the earlier practice of freely scraping web data. Apple is reportedly preparing to showcase a series of AI features with iOS 18 and its other major software updates at WWDC in June.
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The 256GB model is on sale for $849.00 and the 512GB model is available for $1,049.00. These deals beat the previous prices by about $50, and you don't need to be a My Best Buy Plus or Total member to get them.
You can get both models in all four colors: Starlight, Space Gray, Silver, and Midnight. Following the introduction of the M3 MacBook Air, Apple knocked the price of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air down by $100, and it's still selling them alongside the M3 model.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
A prototype of Apple's ill-fated AirPower wireless charger has been seen charging an Apple Watch for the first time.
AirPower was an Apple-designed charging mat designed to charge Qi-based iPhones, the Apple Watch, and AirPods that the company announced in September 2017 alongside the iPhone X. AirPower was designed so that users could place an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch on any part of the mat to charge them, which meant that multiple overlapping charging coils had to be included.
It would have prompted devices to display a unique on-screen iOS animation when they were placed on the charging mat, as seen in Apple's early marketing materials. An iPhone on the AirPower charger would also have shown the charge of all of the devices that were placed on the pad. AirPower missed its original 2018 launch date goal, and after a large number of issues with its development, Apple outright canceled the AirPower project in March 2019.
Prototype Apple AirPower with 16 coils (PROTO1) charging a Prototype Apple Watch Series 4 (DVT). It’s amazing that Apple Watch charging works, given wireless chargers today generally can’t charge Apple Watches. However, the Apple Watch on AirPower gets quite warm. #appleinternalpic.twitter.com/GfywG3KZS9
— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) April 7, 2024
A new video from the X user "Apple Demo," who has showcased various Apple prototypes in the past, demonstrates the AirPower's ability to charge an Apple Watch. The device features 16 coils and can charge a DVT prototype Apple Watch Series 4, but it apparently gets quite warm. Late last year, a functional AirPower prototype from early on in its development exhibited some of the severe thermal problems, including burning or melting devices placed on the charging pad, that ultimately led Apple to abandon the project.
AirPower's ability to charge an Apple Watch would have been special because Apple's smartwatch is only able to charge via its magnetic charging puck and does not support Qi. Simply placing an Apple Watch anywhere on the AirPower pad with no magnetic alignment would have been a unique charging experience.
Rumors in subsequent years about Apple's work on a smaller wireless charger seem to have been related to MagSafe or the MagSafe Duo charger, rather than AirPower. Nevertheless, a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in 2022 said that Apple is still looking into AirPower-like charging solutions for the future.
Update: Apple Demo has now shared a new video of the AirPower prototype.
The United States Commerce Department today announced a significant financial commitment to Apple chip supplier TSMC to make more chips in the U.S. (via Bloomberg).
The White House shared a statement explaining that the U.S. Commerce Department will allocate a $6.6 billion subsidy to TSMC for the advancement of semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. TSMC will also receive $5 billion in loans and be eligible to claim an investment tax credit of up to 25% of capital expenditures. The move is part of a larger initiative under the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to rejuvenate the United States' semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.
TSMC has already committed to an escalated investment of $25 billion, elevating its total investment to $65 billion. This is the largest foreign direct investment in a completely new project in U.S. history.
The chipmaker also announced plans to construct a third fabrication plant in Arizona by 2030. The first TSMC plant in Arizona will start producing 4nm chips next year. The second plant, which was originally designed to make 3nm chips, will also make 2nm ones by 2028. The third plant will produce 2nm chips with capacity to make even more advanced semiconductors in the future.
Apple's most advanced chips are currently made in Taiwan using TSMC's 3nm process, so the ability to make these chips and even more powerful ones in the future in the United States could represent a significant future shift in the company's supply chain.
Following a few notable discounts on MacBooks yesterday, Best Buy today introduced a sale on the 10th generation iPad, including numerous all-time low prices on the tablet. Prices start at $349.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, and include $100 markdowns on both Wi-Fi and cellular devices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad on sale for $499.00, down from $599.00. Both of these models are available in all four colors: Yellow, Pink, Blue, and Silver. This is the first time in a few weeks that we've seen the 10th gen iPad hit an all-time low price.
More than just the Wi-Fi models are being discounted right now at Best Buy, as you can also get $100 off both cellular versions of the iPad. The 64GB cellular iPad is available for $499.00 and the 256GB cellular iPad is available for $649.00. Again, all four colors are on sale at these prices.
Be sure to check out our post from yesterday for more details about Best Buy's current weekend sale, which also includes savings on video game consoles and TVs. Our full Deals Roundup will also catch you up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
A future Apple TV box could have a built-in camera for FaceTime and other video calling apps, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for users to have video calls by using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said an Apple TV with a camera would support "gesture-based controls," but he did not provide any additional details. Starting with updates like iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17, you can make hand gestures during video calls in the FaceTime app and other video calling apps to fill the screen with 3D effects. For example, you can hold two thumbs up to show fireworks on the screen, or make two peace signs with your hands to show confetti. It is unclear if Gurman is referring to this feature, or if there would be all-new gesture-based controls for tvOS overall.
In other home-related news, Gurman said Apple has also considered a "lightweight smart display" that could be used around the house.
Here's everything he said about these devices:
Then there's the smart home segment, where Apple still has grand ambitions. It has discussed automating household functions and offering a revamped Apple TV set-top box with a built-in camera for FaceTime videoconferencing and gesture-based controls. And the technology will all work seamlessly with both the iPhone and Vision Pro.
One piece of the strategy is a lightweight smart display — something akin to a low-end iPad. Such a device could be shuttled from room to room as needed and hooked into charging hubs stationed around the house. Apple has started small-scale test production of the screens for this product, but hasn't made a decision on whether to move forward.
It is unclear if or when these devices will be released. Gurman previously reported that a new Apple TV would be released in the first half of 2024, but it is unclear if a camera would be added to that particular model, or if it is still further away.
"The company is also working on new versions of the low-end iPad and iPad mini, but those won't be coming before the end of the year at the earliest," he said. "The new downscale iPad will probably end up being a cost-reduced version of the 10th generation model from 2022, while the iPad mini update won't include much more than a processor upgrade."
The current sixth-generation iPad mini was released in September 2021, and it is equipped with an A15 Bionic chip. Gurman expects the next model to feature a newer chip, but few other changes. Additional features rumored by other sources include camera upgrades and a fix for the "jelly scrolling" display behavior.
The low-end iPad was last updated in October 2022. An eleventh-generation iPad could start at a lower price than the 10th-generation iPad, which could pave the way for Apple to discontinue the ninth-generation iPad with the Lightning connector.
Apple will likely launch new iPad Pro and iPad Air models during the second week of May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"For those looking for more specific timing, I'm told the launch will probably happen the week of May 6," said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "Another data point to that end: Apple retail stores are preparing to receive new product marketing materials later that week. That's typically a sign that a new product release is incoming."
Apple is expected to announce the following products:
This weekend, Best Buy has a sale on MacBooks, including the previous generation 15-inch MacBook Air and the M3 MacBook Pro. As usual, Best Buy's sale covers far more than just Apple products, and you'll also find solid discounts on TVs, video games, and more during the event.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
15-Inch M2 MacBook Air
Starting with the 15-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air, you can get this model for $999.00, down from $1,299.00. The 512GB model has hit $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00. Both of these are record low prices on the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air.
Starting with the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, there are three total models on sale right now at Best Buy. The cheapest model is the 512GB M3 Pro model at $1,749.00, down from $1,999.00.
Note: My Best Buy Plus/Total membership required to see final deal price.
You'll find bigger deals on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, particularly on the M3 Max models of the computer. For the M3 Pro models, prices start at $2,249.00 for the 512GB/18GB RAM 16-inch MacBook Pro and increase to $2,649.00 for the 512GB/36GB RAM model, both of which are all-time low prices.
Note: My Best Buy Plus/Total membership required to see final deal price.
Sony's PlayStation 5 Slim console launched last November and Best Buy and other retailers have been hosting solid deals on the hardware for a few weeks now. At Best Buy, you can get the PS5 Slim (Disc Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle for $449.99, down from its launch price of $499.99.
The PS5 Slim (Digital Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle is available for $399.99, down from $449.99. Sony increased the price of the Digital Edition by $50 at the launch of the new Slim consoles, so this deal effectively brings the price back down to the level of the original PS5 Digital Edition.
Both bundles also include the Spider-Man 2 game as a digital download, which is an extra value worth $69.99 when not on sale. You can also find video game gift cards on sale at Best Buy this week, as well as Nintendo Switch consoles and games.
TVs
A highlight of the TV sale at Best Buy is a new offer that includes a free 65-inch class Samsung 4K TV, and free installation, when you purchase select Samsung TVs. Additionally, My Best Buy Plus/Total members can save $100 on these TVs. You can find the full list of eligible TVs on Best Buy's website.
Of course, there are many more deals on TVs beyond Samsung, including big savings on LG, TCL, Sony, Hisense, and Insignia. Many of these deals are available to all shoppers, but some do require a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership in order to see the all-time low prices.
Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.